Starwarsandcupcakes

Packed my lunch (meals really) like always- green smoothie- kale, spinach, unsweetened almond milk, frozen pineapple and Syntrax lemonade protein powder egg white and American cheese everything bagel thin with extra everything bagel seasoning onions, zucchini and tomatoes with everything bagel seasoning 2 protein shakes (for coffee) 2 different dried fruits, beef bone broth packet, a pack of seaweed snacks, and a 100 calorie chocolate almonds as snacks and a random orgain protein bar because I was still hungry 9hrs into my shift.

Lol 😂 soup season is EVERY season.

I’m the same way. Out of the 20+ dozen cookies I made this week I had maybe 6 over 4 days. I just enjoy being able to make others happy with a treat or just making their day suck a little less (hospital healthcare is a nightmare right now) so to me researching a new recipe to share or learning a new technique for baking makes me feel better and seeing others enjoy helps reduce the anxiety and stress of working. And strangely some coworkers have asked me when I’m opening a bakery or if I’m taking cookie orders for the holidays….. 😂 Also, I woke up early Friday to make another 6 dozen cookies before work to celebrate a couple of coworkers birthdays- triple chocolate chip, strawberry shortcake, chocolate caramel, and chocolate butterfinger.

If it’s anxiety around eating because you’re worried about decreased appetite then just know you can eat smaller meals and always go back for something else if you’re still hungry. The types of food you’re adding in may also be the culprit. I know I couldn’t eat or stomach much eggs, chicken breast or dry cooked meats for a while after surgery. So maybe try something different than you were before. Same with the protein shakes, some don’t sit as well after surgery as others and drinking the same ones repeatedly can make us feel nauseated at the thought of having another. If the problem continues after trying some of the suggestions a call to your bariatric team might be in order to rule out anything else that may be going on or give you peace of mind. Hopefully it’s better soon!

They’re a sugar cookie base with a mixture of milk chocolate chips, semisweet chocolate chips, toffee bits, and crushed up pretzels then topped with flaky sea salt. It’s the Baritastic app. It’s okay. I just wish it’d track more vitamins and minerals just calcium.

I’m contemplating a career move because my current position is giving me ALL the stress that’s lead to weekly baking. It just seems like each week it gets bigger. So this is what we have so far… Jalapeño cheese bread (yeast edition) Jalapeño cheese quick bread Chocolate espresso cookies Chocolate s’more cookies Sugar cookies with mini M&Ms Kitchen sink cookies Amigthalota (Greek almond cookies) Oh, and I currently have the stuff waiting to make pumpkin pie macarons…. …. I did eat a little less than half a chocolate espresso cookie and almost half a M&M cookie and an amigthalota after dinner of which I’m still under calories for the day. 🤦‍♀️

I love banchan. It’s like dinner roulette but it’s all tasty. Which reminds me….. I have some dried anchovies I need to fry. 😂

The reason they tell you to avoid spicy food is because it can be an irritant to the stomach lining especially right after surgery. Spicy food can also irritate gallbladder issues and cause heartburn in some people. If you’re not in any pain and it sat well then you should be fine. If it keeps bothering you mentally you can always call your bariatric team and talk to them for reassurance.

You can make meringues with powdered swerve (a sugar substitute). At their core it’s just the 2 ingredients- egg whites and sugar (or sugar substitute) but adding cream of tartar helps with stability. 2 egg whites 1/2-1 cup powdered sugar substitute 1/4 tsp cream of tartar 1/2-1tsp extract (like vanilla, almond, or maple) Beat egg whites and cream of tartar in a mixer until soft to medium peaks. Gradually add in sugar until smooth, glossy stiff peaks form (hold beaters or whisk attachment upside down and the mixture not slump over). Gently fold in extract. Bake on parchment paper or silicone mat at 225 for about 40 minutes until lightly browned. Either remove from oven and let cool completely or leave in oven to cool before trying to remove from parchment or mat. Out of the oven makes for a slightly chewier cookie whereas in the oven keeps the residual heat and makes a crispier cookie. Store in an air tight container away from heat or moisture.

On Baritastic you can adjust the decimal measure to just about anything.

I ended up just dividing.25 by 3 and it was like .08333. 😵‍💫

I’m not tracking calories today but wanted to share- tacos y menudo! I like the broth from the menudo (never had it before) but I’m not a fan of the texture of the cow stomach so it went into the fridge for me to strain later and add black beans to. Also ate a tostada dipped in the menudo broth. As for the lengua (cow tongue), cabeza (cow head or cheek), and birria (the red one) tacos- gifts from heaven. I took a bite or 2 of each one and then my smallest tried them- he’s a fan of the birria tacos. Oh and you can’t have proper tacos without horchata (not pictured). Mmmm.

Made quesadillas for dinner. Mine was on a tomato wellness tortilla with cheese and spinach and would’ve been 190 calories and 13g protein if I had eaten it all. … Anyone know how to log a 1/3 of a 1/4c. Cheese? 😂

I actually made 18- 4 went to a coworker, 8 are in the box, I had half a one and threw the rest away and the kids scarfed up the others while I was frosting them. Before dinner. 😂🤷‍♀️

I made the kids lasagna for dinner. I had some of the leftover sauce I make (jarred marinara, onions, garlic, mushrooms and sweet Italian sausage with some spices) over some sautéed zucchini. I also made some pumpkin cupcakes.

Another work day so more packed meals! Green smoothie- spinach, kale, unsweetened almond milk, frozen strawberries, chocolate protein powder Triscuit thins with some harvest chicken salad- chicken, thin sliced red onion, celery, reduced sugar craisins, diced apple, pecans and almonds in a dressing of light Mayo, apple cider vinegar, and maple syrup with some spices an egg white omelette with a spinach gruyere chicken sausage, onions and sun dried tomatoes my trusty thermos with vegetable soup and then another (there’s already one in the coffee mug with espresso) protein shake for coffee and my beef bouillon packet. Also, I always pack a couple protein bars, a shelf stable soup, and other snacks in case I don’t eat (not in the mood for) what I packed and adjust my calories accordingly.

I take almost all of my goodies to work. I usually leave with empty containers. Doctors and nurses are really good at hitting up free sweets. 😂

The recipe is pretty straightforward and I think it could easily be adapted with low carb flour and sugar options like swerve but haven’t tried. I did omit the vanilla and used maple flavor for the bars itself and I know there are sugar free maple flavored syrups on the market that could be used for the glaze. And my secret for not having to actually cook bacon is the real bacon crumbles you find in the aisle with the salad topper stuff. 😂

I always love baking things I can swirl or that have swirls- these brownies, cinnamon rolls, jelly rolls, cinnamon swirl bread… it brings me joy.

I felt the need to bake today so most of these will be off to work tomorrow with coworkers- cheesecake brownies, chocolate peanut butter marshmallow fudge, crumb top apple pie, maple bacon bars, no bake cookies, coconut macaroons and sugar cookies with mini M&Ms mixed in.

I called mine on Christmas Eve to tell him I couldn’t poop. 😂 He told me to go with the nuclear option…. It was the best Christmas poop ever! Also, it’s never too late to call if you’re worried- the surgeon office should have an on call service to call you back with urgent issues.

Following the advice of your bariatric team. Every person and program is different. What suits one of us doesn’t suit everyone. Like for myself- I’ve also had 3ft of my small intestines removed because of a hernia so I malabsorb calories and their nutrients. So sticking to what you’re saying I would end up with malnutrition issues and be sick.

I’m almost 2yrs out from my VSG and a little over 13 months out from a VSG to RNY (gerd) revision and the hunger pangs do get better after being on more solid foods. With VSG it doesn’t take away all the receptors for ghrelin because they’re all over the stomach but does remove most of them as the stomach is greatly reduced in size. Staying hydrated really helps as does trying to keep yourself distracted. I also found saving a meal or snack for about 30 minutes before bed really helped me stay asleep longer so I wasn’t waking up hungry.

Lunch was gardien sweet and sour porkless bites with mixed veggies and brown rice. Total 307 calories. Ate all of it (and made 2 others like it for lunches later this week) Dinner is a very tasty yet super filling burrito bowl from HotHead- Double steak on lettuce with banana peppers, pineapple, fajita veggies, cholula, sweet teriyaki sauce, and pico. Total calories for the whole thing is 397 (46g protein!) so I’m guessing (and tracked) 139 calories. I might go back to it later before bed as a snack…. Or eat a mini Godiva roasted almond dark chocolate bar (found them at Walmart)….

Salad for dinner. I must’ve still been full from “lunch” because I just couldn’t eat much. Hearts of palm, artichoke hearts, tomatoes, romaine and balsamic reduction. Would’ve been 135 calories if I had eaten the whole thing.